DM41X

[jjohnson873]

Well, it's been a few months since Bob Prosperi did his DM41X presentation at HHC2019. As of January 2020, I've yet to see any updates or any pre-announcements on the Swiss Micro site. I read today, Jan. 9th, that "David has his hands full with work on the DM41X" from grsbanks. So I'm assuming that Swiss Micros is working feverishly on the new firmware and the keyboard layout stencils as well as any mechanical changes to the case/keypad.
Of course you know where this is leading. "Here.......just take my money!" (for the new DM41X).
Does anyone else have any updates they'd care to share?
~ Jim J. ~

[grsbanks]

We have a handful of alpha units between us. The keyboard layout is designed and we're waiting on some keyboard parts that have been improved from the first batch of alphas that we have. The yellow and blue colours on the key bezels are now much more vivid than the rather washed out colours on the photo below. Once we get the new keyboards and can assemble some more units with those and the better bezels, I think the hardware will be where we want it.

There are still some software elements that need to be added but that is well in hand and David is crossing items off the to-do list at a good rate of knots.

Short of any unforeseen hiccups I think we're close to throwing the first beta units out there to get the community testing and giving feedback.

BruceH will probably notice several differences between this version and what Michael and I took to HPCC in October last year!

[Massimo Gnerucci]

(01-09-2020 04:13 PM)grsbanks Wrote:  Short of any unforeseen hiccups I think we're close to throwing the first beta units out there to get the community testing and giving feedback.

OMG OMG OMG.
HOORAY!!!!

[Gene]

This is why there should be a LIKE button in the forum. :-)

[twoweims]

We wants it. My precioussss.

[Namir]

I consider the HP-41C my best buddy calculator. In the early 80s I traveled a lot for my job. Each night after dinner, I'd sit in my hotel room, watch cable tv, and write programs for the HP-41C. I do love the HP-41CX it ins HP version and Swiss Micro version. I do look forward to the release of teh DM41X.

Namir

[Dave Britten]

I like the keyboard layout. Do the up and down arrows act like SST and BST when you aren't in a menu that specifically uses them? And moving R/S over seems like a reasonable application of Fitt's law.

I just hope that the keys are a lot less stiff than the DM42. I'll probably wait for reviews of the production units before buying (mostly because of the keyboard issue), but I'm very interested otherwise.

[grsbanks]

(01-10-2020 06:03 PM)Dave Britten Wrote:  Do the up and down arrows act like SST and BST when you aren't in a menu that specifically uses them?

Yes, they do

There's a multiline PRGM editor and the up/down arrows also allow you to scroll through the program steps.

[Mark Hardman]

Michael sent me a photo of a beta unit this morning:



Very sexy! Once I get one, I won't be able to keep my hands off of it.

[pinkman]

Beautiful!
12 segments LCD simulated on matrix display, very well done.

[Massimo Gnerucci]

(01-11-2020 12:51 AM)Mark Hardman Wrote:  Very sexy! Once I get one, I won't be able to keep my hands off of it.

Ditto!

[Massimo Gnerucci]

(01-11-2020 01:06 PM)pinkman Wrote:  Beautiful!
12 segments LCD simulated on matrix display, very well done.

Actually they are 14.

[Dave Britten]

Yeah, that looks magnificent on the high-res LCD.

Waiting anxiously for reports of keyboard stiffness...

[Massimo Gnerucci]

(01-11-2020 12:51 AM)Mark Hardman Wrote:  Michael sent me a photo of a beta unit this morning:



Very sexy! Once I get one, I won't be able to keep my hands off of it.

01/03/2016
So they kept the secret for the last four years! ;)

[smp]

(01-09-2020 04:13 PM)grsbanks Wrote:  Short of any unforeseen hiccups I think we're close to throwing the first beta units out there to get the community testing and giving feedback.

How does one get on the list to be a Beta Tester?

smp

[rprosperi]

As described in my presentation at HHC2019 in September, the BETA program will be quite similar to the DM42 BETA program, where users will be able to purchase a BETA DM41X device (DM42 BETA units were ~CHF 150, these will likely be similar) with pre-release f/w. These units will be fully functional, stable and usable, but some finishing touches will be completed in parallel with the BETA testing and bug fixes for issues reported be BETA testers.

When ready, an announcement will be made here on MoHPC and also on the SM Forum.

Stay tuned...

[toml_12953]

(01-11-2020 02:55 PM)Dave Britten Wrote:  Yeah, that looks magnificent on the high-res LCD.

Waiting anxiously for reports of keyboard stiffness...

If it's the same hardware base as the DM42 it might require opening it up and flexing the keys. I did that to my two 42's and the keys work perfectly.

[Dave Britten]

(01-12-2020 03:09 AM)toml_12953 Wrote:  

(01-11-2020 02:55 PM)Dave Britten Wrote:  Yeah, that looks magnificent on the high-res LCD.

Waiting anxiously for reports of keyboard stiffness...

If it's the same hardware base as the DM42 it might require opening it up and flexing the keys. I did that to my two 42's and the keys work perfectly.

Yeah, that helped immensely with my DM42, but they're still a bit too stiff, and very inconsistent in feel.

[NetMage]

A bit disappointed the blue shift key color is so far off where the yellow seems spot on.

[Joe Horn]

(01-12-2020 06:46 AM)NetMage Wrote:  A bit disappointed the blue shift key color is so far off where the yellow seems spot on.

Far off from what? The HP-41 had no blue shift key. There have been many other HP calculators with blue shift keys, but they did not all use the same blue color. Do you prefer one in particular?